Brave 2: The Wanderer
by Superfan44
Summary: Brave sequel Idea. After a young traveler named Edward is severely injured, he is found by Merida and taken to stay with her family and be cared for. But when an old enemy from his past threatens the kingdom, he must team up with his new friends to stop his enemy once and for all. Merida/OC, please read and review!
1. The Beginning

**Hey there, so this is my Idea of a sequel for the movie Brave (I have had this Idea long before the movie came out). First, I will describe to you what my OC in the story looks like: Name: Edward, Age: 17, Hair: Brown, Skin: normal, Muscles: normal sized. So I hope you guys enjoy the story.**

Chapter 1 

_(Edwards POV)_

It was a cold night in the noisy Pub, and I just felt like I had been through a hard day's work. My name is Edward; I am a wanderer who has been traveling the country side for more than two years now. It all started when I was just 15 years old living with my two loving parents in a small village, they cared for me and were always there to keep me safe. But everything changed when a Viking named Alrek the hunter attacked my village and killed both of my parents, but not before my dad gave me his knife and told me to run, I escaped the village, but I couldn't say the same for everybody else. About a year later with some combat training I had received from a knight, I was able to locate Alrek's ship, leave a scar on his face with my father's knife, and set the boat on fire, while he was still on it. Ever since then, I have done nothing but wonder from place to place, settling down in one kingdom and then moving to the next, and basically taking on on anyone who threatens me along the way. I was in the Pub getting a few drinks until two men walked up to me, they were a couple of nasty looking, dirty folks who don't seem to take kindly to strangers.

"Hey" the man said in a gravely tone "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just getting a drink, you got a problem with that" I replied.

"This is our spot, and you aren't allowed to be here" the other man replied "And if you don't leave, then I think it's time we taught you a lesson"

"Look, I don't want any trouble" I said to them.

"It's too late for that" the man said with a sneer. They both surrounded me and just as they started to attack, I grabbed a log that was standing in the corner and bashed it over the first man's head, knocking him out and causing him to fall to the ground, then I took the other man and smashed his face right on the counter, knocking him to the ground. The two men were lying on the ground out cold, and I walked out of the bar, and whistled to my horse which I used for transportation. I thought of where to go to next, until I saw a map on the ground that leeds to the the highlands on the other side of the country. I picked the map up off the groundand knew that I had just found my next place to travel to. So I got on my horse, I snapped the reins, and I was off to the Highlands, where hopefully I would do a lot better there.

_(Merida's POV)_

It was bright and sunny afternoon in the kingdom of Dunbroch. It's been over a month since my wee little incident with the witch and my mother turning into a bear, and everything has adjusted back to normal with me and my family. My mother had gotten me a brand new bow to make up for the one that she damaged earlier. It looks exactly like the old one, except it was carved from a different wood. I had just finished lunch, and I headed off for a little ride around the forest. I hopped onto me horse Angus, grabbed my new bow, and I was off into the forest, shooting the targets as I moved. Surprisingly, it worked as good as my original bow and I shot the bulls-eye with ease. I stopped at the edge of a cliff so that I could look at the view below; I patted Angus's head as I saw a flock of birds fly past us. Ever since my speech for the three lords about their sons and about how they can choose their own brides, I have wondered if they had followed my advice. If they had found someone special by now (or choose to wait a little while longer) then I wonder when the right person for me will come, someone who shares my hobbies, and is just right for me. I saw the sun go down and figured that it was almost time for supper.

"Come on Angus, let's go" I said to my horse as I got up, and rode off back to the castle where my mother and father were probably waiting for me.

After dinner with my family, I went outside and sat down so that I could get some fresh air and gaze at the stars for a little bit. Then, I saw my mother coming out through a door and stood right next to me.

"Hello mother" I said to her.

"Hello Merida" she said back "What are you doing out here?"

"Oh not much just gazing at the stars, relaxing for a bit" I replied. She noticed my expression and decided to talk to me for a bit.

"What's wrong Merida?" she asked me.

"What are you talking about" I replied back.

"I can tell that something's troubling you, talk to me for a minute, just tell me what's wrong" she said to me, and so I decided to just go on ahead and started talking.

"Remember that speech I gave for the three lords about their sons, about how they could choose their own brides?" I asked.

"Yes, I heard about it and how they accepted that Idea" she replied.

"Well, it's just… I figure that they would now choose who they like, but I wonder if there is someone for me out there" I said

"Well, there are plenty of fine men" my mother said.

"I know, but I want someone who knows me by heart, someone who shares my hobbies, and someone who is a little more… natural" I said to her

"Don't worry, you'll find someone special someday" mother said to me.

"You really think so?" I asked her.

"Yes Merida, I'm sure" she said smiling "Now come to bed, you can go do whatever you like tomorrow"

"Yes mother" I replied, and then I got up, walked into my bedroom, and went to sleep, never knowing what the next day could bring me".

**Alright, so that's the end of the first chapter, I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible, please leave a review for me and tell me what you think.**


	2. Found in the forest

**Hey, so here is the next chapter for the story, I hope that you have all been waiting, because this took a short amount of time. Anyway, would you PLEASE leave a review for me once you are done reading, because I don't seem to get a lot of reviews, Enjoy.**

Chapter 2

_(Edwards POV)_

After a day of arriving into the highlands, I decided to set up camp for the night in the middle of the forest. I got a fire going with some sticks that I found, and I set down my things on the side of a tree stump. I got out some food (mostly some corn and bread) and started to eat. I shared some bread with my horse and I ate the rest so that I wouldn't go hungry. After eating, I looked up into the starry night, and I looked at my horse, and the horse looked at me.

"So do you think that there will be any kingdom nearby that we can settle down in?" I asked my horse, it just purred for a bit and I patted his head. "Well, wherever we'll go next, hopefully there will be finer hospitality". I decided to get so rest, all I had was the fire, and a blanket to keep me warm. I looked up at the sky one more time before I closed my eyes.

I woke up 4 hours later to hear a noise in the bushes, along with some growling. My horse was so spooked that he was crying out like an enemy was coming for us. I took out my knife and slowly got up.

"Whose there?" I said, trying to figure out who these figures were "Show yourselves". I slowly walked next to the fire and in the burning light; I saw a pack of wolves that looked ferocious. They seemed to be out here at night and they think I'm a predator. They all surrounded me and were fixed on me and my horse.

"Looks like we have a fight here" I said to myself. Just then, the first wolf pounced straight at me and I slashed it with my knife, after that, the rest of the wolves charged straight at me. My horse then ran away from the fight so that it could be safe. I struggled to fight back against them with my knife, but one of them charged at me and bit me in my right arm. I cried out in pain as its sharp teeth slinked into my arm. I lashed at the wolf with my knife and blood was dripping from it, another wolf slashed its claw at my left leg and I started to go down. After these wolves were slashing a bitting me, I decided that it was enough. I saw the nearest wolf come straight for me and I stabbed it in the chest, killing it. I looked up at the other wolves that just stood in silence; I quickly realized that I had probably killed the leader of the pack. The other wolves started to rush away from my sight. I placed the knife in my left pouch and tried to get up, but I started to feel pain in my arm and chest from all of the wounds I had received. I soon started to feel dizzy and tired; I couldn't find my horse anywhere, after struggling to keep myself in balance, I fainted and everything went black.

_(Merida's POV)_

The next morning, I got up with the sun shining in my face, and the smell of food coming from downstairs. I got out of bed, and rushed down to the table for breakfast. After the good meal of the usual food, I decided to get my bow and go outside for a little bit. I hoped onto Angus and I decided to take another ride through the forest. I shot the targets down while looking at the scenery around me. Suddenly, Angus stopped, causing me to fly right off his back.

"Angus" I said to him, he was just standing there in fear as if her was looking at something. I turned around, and jumped back as soon as I saw it. The figure lying on the ground was a young boy, he looked to be around my age, and he had brown hair and dark clothing. He had severe wounds on some parts of his body and it looks like he went through a brutal fight. I kneeled over to him to take a closer look; I touched parts of his body to see how bad his wounds looked. I got to his chest, and I felt some beating underneath it, I put my ear on his chest and I heard some breathing and I realized that he was still alive. I knew that he needed help; I saw that he had several bags and other things in a camp site that he probably set up before. So I pick him up (he was a bit heavy) and I slouched him on Angus's back and I road back to the kingdom to inform my parents about my discovery.

I arrived at the castle where my parents were on the balcony, talking to each other. I rode onto the stone bridge and towards the castle where my parents were.

"Mom, Dad!" I yelled "I found somebody!" I rode up to them, and they were shocked to see what I had found.

"Where did you find this boy?" my father asked me.

"I found him in the woods like this" I said to them "He needs help". Then, my mother called for the maids including Maudie and they came forth to my mother.

"Maudie, get this boy into a spare room in the castle and wrap up some of his wounds" she told the maids.

"Yes mylady" the maid replied. Then, they put him on a small carriage and carried him into the castle. My brothers Hamish, Hubert and Harris saw the boy curiously, and my mother told them to come over to where we were. Then, inside the castle, I told my parents and my brothers about how I found him in the forest.

**Alright, so I hope you liked the chapter, it didn't take as long as I thought it was going to be, and make sure you review for me before you leave. I will update soon everybody.**


	3. Awakening

**Hello readers, so Edward has been found in the woods and has been taken into the castle. This chapter will tell us what happens when he soon learns where he is after he wakes up. Make sure you leave a review once you're done, and enjoy.**

Chapter 3

_(Edwards POV)_

After dreaming about my parents yet again, I opened my eyes. My vision at first was a little blurry, but it quickly recovered and revealed that I was in a regular bedroom with the walls and floors made of stone slab, a wooden door, and a window that allowed the sunlight to enter the room. I pulled away the covers away to see that someone has wrapped up my wounds in bandages, and I figured that someone must have found me in the forest and taken me back to where he or she lived; I looked around the room and saw my bag and my knife all in a corner of the room. I stood up, wobbled a bit, but I could still be able to move my arms and legs and walk. I went over to my knife put it back in my left pouch strap. Suddenly, I heard a noise coming from the other side of the room, and I noticed three little boys who were looking at me with curiosity. They each looked the same, red curly hair, regular clothing, and little faces. They saw me, and they rushed out of the room.

"Hey, who are you" I asked them as they walked out the door "Come back". I got up and opened the door, to reveal a massive hallway ahead. I soon figured that I was in a castle of some sort and that someone was taking care of me while I was out. I walked out of the room so that I could explore the castle, after going down the massive hallway; I bumped into somebody who was carrying some clothing.

"Oh I'm sorry about that mam" I said to the lady, I looked at her and judging by her clothing, she was probably one of the maids in the castle.

"Its fine, I can always pick them up after-"she stopped after she looked at me for a brief moment.

"Ah, you're awake" she exclaimed "We were starting to think that ye weren't going to get better"

"Wait" I said to her "I have several questions to ask you"

"Well, you can ask me anything" she replied.

"Where exactly am I?" I asked her.

"Why, you are in the castle of Dunbroch" she replied.

"You mean the clan of Dunbroch?" I replied "As in Fergus, the bear king"

"Yes, that's him" the maid said. Before, my father use to tell stories to me about the mighty Fergus and how he fought the demon bear Mor'du and survived.

"How long have I been out for" I asked the maid

"About 3 days" she replied. I was shocked to hear this but continued on to my third and final question.

"How did you guys find me" I asked

"Well, that I don't know, the king and queen know who found you, I'll go inform them that you're awake" she said to me.

"Alright" I said to her, I followed her down the hallway until we reached a massive door which I knew was the door to the throne room.

"Wait here" the maid said to me. She opened the door and entered the room. I heard her talking to the king and queen, after a few minutes, the doors opened and the maid stepped outside and walked up to me.

"The king and queen have allowed you permission to come in" the maid said.

"Thank you" I replied. The maid opened the doors and I followed her. Inside were a massive room that had several chandeliers made of iron, some stone engravings on the walls, tapestry pictures, and two stuffed bears that stood in between the thrones. In the middle, I saw two people that looked at me. The first was a young woman with dark brown hair, and an emerald dress, the other was a large muscular man with some heavy clothing and had a wooden peg leg on his left leg, I figured that they were the king and queen.

"I suppose that you are king Fergus" I said to the man.

"Why yes lad, how do you know about me?" he asked me.

"I have heard many of your stories" I replied "And I take it you are the queen"

"Why yes" the woman replied "I am Queen Elinor"

"A pleasure to meet you your highness" I said "Now, how did you find me in the forest in the first place?"

"Oh we didn't find you" said Elinor "Our daughter did" I looked puzzled.

"Your daughter?" I asked curiously

"Eye, she was riding her horse out in the forest until she stumbled upon you and she brought you back here" said Fergus.

"Well where is she now?" I asked them.

"She's outside" said Elinor "I'll go get her for you" then Elinor left the room so that they could get her daughter and inform her that I was awake. After a couple of minutes, the Queen came back with the princess. I looked at the young girl who appeared to be around my age, she was wearing a dark green dress with some ripped areas on the arms and chest, probably so that she could stretch more easily. But what really struck me was her long, curly, and wavy red hair, which flowed freely on top of her head.

"This is our Daughter, Merida" said Elinor. I walked over to say hello to her.

"Why hello there" I said to Merida.

"Hello" she replied back "I didn't get your name though". I almost forgot to tell them what my name was and I proceeded

"My name is Edward" I said to them.

"Well Edward, what brings you to Dunbroch?" asked Fergus.

"I have just been traveling the countryside in search for a place to settle" I told them.

"Where is your home?" asked Merida "You probably have some family waiting for your return". I sighed and told them what was troubling me.

"That's my problem" I told them "I don't have any family, not any more, all I've been doing is wondering from place to place, sleeping in one camp site after another. Basically, I haven't had a home for the past 2 years" They looked at me and I could tell that they felt sorry for me.

"Well, I think it's time that you found a place to call home" said Merida.

"What do you mean?" I asked them.

"Well, we can let you stay with us if you like" replied Merida.

"I appreciate that offer" I said to them "And I accept" Elinor and Fergus smiled.

"Then you shall be welcomed into our home" said Elinor.

"Thank you, I appreciate that" I said to them.

"Come on, I'll show ya around" said Merida. Then, she took my hand and I followed her to show me around the castle. While I was walking with her I felt something inside of me, something that I couldn't figure out yet.

**Well, that's the end of the chapter; I had managed to make the chapter a little bit longer (at the request of other authors). We will see the triplets every now and then throughout the story, and the three lords and their sons will appear later on, I hope you guys liked the chapter, I will try to update as soon as possible.**


	4. Archery lesson

**Hey there readers, so this chapter will focus mainly on Merida showing Edward around the castle, and the outside area as well, I am so thankful for everybody sending in reviews, it has helped me a lot. Make sure you leave a review for me once you're done, and Enjoy.**

Chapter 4

_(Merida's POV)_

After my parents agreed that Edward could stay, I decided to show him around the castle. So far, I showed him the kitchens, my room, and the village below us. We then walked out into the yard where the sun was shining, and flocks of sheep were grazing.

"So I was wondering, how old are you" Edward asked me.

"16" I replied "And how old are you?"

"I'm about 17" he replied "Which means I'm around your age"

"What a coincidence" I said, he was walking next to me and I felt something inside of me, I didn't know what it was, but I felt that it had something to do with being around Edward.

"So, what is your favorite hobby?" he asked me.

"I'll show you" I said to him "Wait right here". I rushed into the weapons room and got out my bow, I showed it to him, and then I aimed the bow at the target and fired, hitting the bulls-eye perfectly. He looked at me with surprise.

"Archery" he said to me.

"Yah, I have been shooting a bow and arrow ever since I was little" I said to him.

"I have to admit, that shot was impressive" he said to me.

"How good are you with a bow?" I asked him.

"Well, I have used a bow before, but my skills may not be as good as yours" he said to me.

"Grab a bow, I'll teach you a few things" I said to him. Then, I grabbed him a bow, and gave it to him, and then I took out one of my arrows and began to demonstrate to him.

"Watch me now" I said to him, he paid attention to me while I got the arrow into firing position "Draw all the way back to your cheek, keep both eyes open, relax, focus" I fired the arrow with perfect accuracy, and it hit the target.

"Alright, now you try" I said to him "Get into position and if there is anything you need to correct I'll help". Edward got up, placed the arrow on the bow and got into firing position.

"Draw all the way back" I said to him "To your cheek, that's right", he kept his eyes opened, and he started to relax. He fired, and he hit one of the areas on the target that was closest to the bulls-eye but didn't get the center of the target.

"Well, you didn't get the target, but you were close" I said to him. Suddenly I heard a noise from the kitchen; Edward and I looked up to see my three brothers with several treats in their hands that they probably took for themselves.

"Hey, those are the boys that I saw this morning" said Edward "they were spying' on me when I woke up"

"They probably were" I said to him, they came down from the roof and landed in a cart that was next to us.

"So you boys doing alright" I asked them, they all nodded yes.

"Wait you know these boys?" Edward asked me.

"Yes, these are my brothers, Hamish, Hubert, and Harris" I said to him "Boys, this is our guest Edward. Edward looked at them, waved hello to them (which they did back) and then he looked back at me.

"I see that these boys can cause trouble around here?" he asked me.

"Yep, they're always after the pastries" I said to him "Wee little devils they are"

"I see" he said "Now you boys run along now, Merida and I were doing something private". The boys nodded in approval and they sneaked back into the castle through some secret passage. Edward was trying to pick up an arrow when all of a sudden he spilled the arrow pouch and it fell to the ground.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that" said Edward.

"No, no, it's alright" I said to him "I'll pick them up"

"Mind if I help you out?" he asked me.

"Of course you can" I said to him. We both started picking up the arrows that were on the ground. Suddenly, I touched an arrow right before he tried to touch it and touched my hand, we both looked at each other and I blushed for a bit before he let go so I could pick it up.

"So thanks for giving me this lesson" said Edward "Maybe tomorrow we can come back here again and we can continue with this".

"Sure" I said to him "I'll see you at dinner then"

"Same here" he replied. Then, we both walked back into the castle and back into our rooms, while I thought about what just happened back then.

_(Edward's POV)_

I think I like this girl Merida, there is something… different about her that sets her apart from most girls that I've seen. She's spirited, she's athletic, basically not your typical princess. I was heading down the stairs from my room for dinner with the rest of the royal family. I arrived at the table and saw the rest of the family sitting down, I wasn't sure if I was late or not but I could see that the food was on the table. It was a massive feast of meat, potatoes, bread, and other things that made it look like food that was good enough to eat. I sat down in a chair which I realized was right next to Merida's seat, I then thought that it was alright with me. Fergus, Elinor, and the triplets were all seated, and Merida had just arrived in time.

"So, how do you like our home?" asked Merida.

"It's nice" I said to her "And I remember that we have another archery practice tomorrow"

"That is correct" she said. I looked at a small brown food on a plate.

"Hmmm, what exactly is this" I asked.

"That is a haggas" said Elinor "It's just a wee sheep stomach" I tried a bite of it.

"It's good" I said with a lying smirk on my face and took a bite of an apple just to get the taste out of my mouth. I looked over at Merida and winked to her; she smiled back and chuckled a bit. I looked over the table and I could tell that the triplets weren't feeling good about the haggis's either. Suddenly, I heard Merida quietly getting the boys attention, she had a plate of pastries with her and she set it down underneath the table. The boys quietly snuck under the table and I looked at Merida.

"What are you doing" I whispered to her, but she put her finger on her mouth to tell me that she was hiding a secret from her mother and father. I looked underneath the table and saw that the triplets were eating the pastries, unknown to Fergus and Elinor. I quickly got back up and took another bite of the apple.

"So, I hear that the festival will be coming soon?" asked Merida.

"Wait, what festival" I said to them.

"Well, each year, the great leaders are brought to this castle to honor the peace between the clans" said Elinor "It will feature many activities and events"

"Well that sounds like fun" I replied "How long does it last for?"

"About a week" said Fergus "And there's only 3 days away before we begin, and we are still getting ready for it".

"I can't wait for it" I said to them. I saw that the boys had given Merida the empty plate and that they looked like they had just eaten a whole meal.

"Boys, you are excused" said Elinor. The triplets heard this, and they ran off to their rooms so that the parents wouldn't get suspicious. I hid my laughter and followed Merida up the stairs where my room (Which is the one that I woke in) was right next to hers.

"So tomorrow, we will continue that archery lesson in the afternoon" I said to her.

"Yes, we will" she replied "And we'll also help a little bit with setting up for the festival"

"Of course" I replied "So… Goodnight" I said to her.

"Goodnight" she replied as we walked towards our rooms.

"Sweet dreams" I said back to her. She looked at me and smiled a bit, and we closed the doors to our rooms. I sat back down on the bed that I woke up in, and I fell asleep. Never knowing what the next day would bring.

**Well, that's the end of the chapter, it took a while for me to work on this, and I hope you all liked it. I'll try to update as soon as possible, and I would like to thank everyone for your support (which is the most that I've gotten for my own story). Please review before you leave.**


	5. Settiling in

**Hey there readers, I hope you have been waiting patiently because this chapter is finally here. Thank you all for your support when I first started this story, make sure you leave a review for me when you're done and I don't own anything related to Brave (Except for my OC's) Enjoy.**

Chapter 5

_(Edwards POV)_

It's my second day here staying at the castle of Dunbroch, and I seem to be enjoying this place. After eating breakfast with the family, I went outside to get a little fresh air while Merida was inside the castle doing some lessons. I watched the sun go up into the sky and decided to practice some fighting skills; I picked up a sword from the weapons room and started swinging it around so that I could practice my skills. Fergus saw me and decided to come down to where I was so that he could see how I was doing.

"Well lad, you're not bad with a sword there" he said to me.

"Yeah, I have learned a lot" I replied to him.

"You wanna go for a quick minute?" he asked me.

"You mean a duel?" I asked him.

"Of course" he held out his sword, and I took out mine.

"Shall we begin?" he said to me.

"Indeed we shall" I said to him. Then, both of our swords clashed in a friendly duel. Our swords swished through the air, clashed together from blocks, and almost hit the ground. When I clashed with his sword again, I slid my sword down his, and forced it out of his hand where it flew out of his hands and was pinned to the ground.

"Well, that's some skill you've got there lad" he said to me.

"Thanks, I learned how to use a sword when I was younger" I said to him.

"You must have taken those skills very easily" said Fergus.

"I think I did" I said "So is Merida done with her lessons?"

"She's just about done" said Fergus.

"Good, because we are planning to continue with that archery lesson that we didn't finish yesterday" I said to Fergus.

"Well, I hope you have fun" said Fergus "Now, I've got to go help the queen"

"Ok, I'll see you later then" I said to him

"Same to you lad, same to you" he said back and walked away, I then went back into the castle to find Merida. I continued to walk down the hall until I accidentally bumped into her and she fell to the floor.

"Oh, I'm so sorry" I said to her "Let me help you up". I took out my hand a touched her hand as she got up with my help, we both blushed for a little bit before I let go of her hand.

"So are we still on for that archery lesson?" I asked her.

"Of course we are" she replied "Come on, let's go" We both walked out to the yard where the bows and arrows were on the wooden table and the target was far away from us. I picked up my bow, and Merida did the same thing as I positioned the arrow.

"Alright, let's get started" said Merida "Now show me what I taught you yesterday" I pulled the arrow back to my cheek and kept both of my eyes opened. I relaxed a bit and focused on the target up ahead.

"Alright, so far so good" she said "First, you need to lower your aim a bit" she made me lower my arm so that I could get a clearer shot.

"When you pull back the arrow you need to breath in deep" and she showed me how deep to breath in and I did as she showed me, I focused my sight on the target and I softly let go of the strings as the arrow went flying through the air and hit the bulls-eye on the target. I smiled after it hit, and Merida clapped her hands to congratulate me.

"Nice job" she said to me.

"Thank you" I said to her. I thought for a second about what to do next, and I looked at the small beach that was right near the castle and in front of the huge lake.

"Now how about we go for a little swim" I said to her.

"Sure, just let me get a swim suit on and I'll meet you at the beach" she said to me, and she walked off to get dressed into an appropriate swim suit.

_(Merida's POV)_

About 10 minutes later, I arrived at the lake where Edward was standing on the beach waiting for me. I was wearing a white tunic while Edward was just shirtless with his pants on and I walked over to him.

"Well, I see that you're dressed nicely" he said to me.

"Thank you" I replied "I see a few high rocks that would be good for diving"

"Well, alright then, that sounds good" I said to Edward. We both climbed up the rocks and stopped at the top where the water was right below us.

"Ladies first" he said to me. Luckily I was an excellent diver and focused primarily on the water; I jumped, and flew right into the water. It was a little cold but not as cold as ice, I rose to the surface and looked up to see that Edward was still standing on the platform.

"How's the water?" he yelled to me

"It's not really that bad" I said to him "Alright, that was my dive, now let's see how good yours is". He carefully stood on the edge of the rock, took a deep breath, and jumped from the rocks and fell down into the lake. A huge splash followed as he hit the water and some of the water hit me. I waited for him to come up, but somehow he was still underwater. I decided to dive down and follow him to where he was. When I found him, he was gazing at an old shipwreck that must have been from a long time ago. He had a deep expression on his face and I figured that it was something that happened to him a long time ago. Suddenly, I started to run out of breath and felt like I needed to get out of the water immediately, but my feet were stuck to a thing of seaweed. Edward saw me and rushed over to me as he carefully got the seaweed off my leg and pulled me up to the water. Once we reached the surface, we both gasped for air while Edward dragged me to shore, I looked at him.

"What were you doing down there?" I asked him.

"Nothing, I just saw the wrecked ship and it brought up something in my mind" he said to me.

"Well, what did it bring up?" I asked him, he looked at me and signed.

"I just don't feel like talking about it" he said to me.

"I understand" I replied to him "Thank you by the way"

"For what?" he asked me.

"For saving me back there" I replied, he shrugged a bit and looked at me with a grin.

"Well, I guess that it was a favor I owe you for finding me in the forest" he said to me, we both looked into each other's eyes for a minute before I broke the silence. I saw his bandages fall off his arm and it showed that his wounds had already healed.

"Edward look, your arm has healed" I said to him. He looked at the bandages that have slipped off and saw that the wound on his arm had disappeared.

"Oh yeah, I am a fast healer, it runs in my family" he said to me.

"Well that must be a nice blessing" I said to him "Come on, let's go back to the castle" the we both got up and walked up the hill back to my home.

**Well, that's the end of the chapter; I didn't want to keep my lovely readers waiting. I will try to update as soon as possible. Please leave a review for me before you leave and I'll see you guys soon.**


	6. Beginning of the Festival

**Hello Readers, I hope you guys have been waiting because here is the next chapter for the story. This chapter is going to jump about a week ahead where the family is set for the festival and the three lords and their sons arrive. Please leave a review for me when you're done to tell me what you think, and Enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 6

_(Edwards POV)_

It has been a week since I was brought to the castle, and things had started to feel a lot better for me. Most of my wounds have healed, I improved my archery skills to Merida's impression, and I have started to settle in with the royal family. After six days of preparation, the first day of the festival had finally arrived; I had learned a lot about lords Macintosh, MacGuffin, and Dingwall from Fergus and Merida told me about some of their sons. I had cleaned up so that I could be at least presentable when they arrive, because these lords sounded like they were very honorable in this land. Merida and I helped set up the area outside of the castle where the festival would take place, and I could tell that the triplets had their eyes set on the many treats that were going to be served. But there is still one thing that keeps haunting me during my time here. On several nights when I go to sleep I keep having these nightmares that tell me about Alrek the hunter, they seem to be trying to tell me something. I don't know what these dreams are telling me, but I think sooner or later I'm about to find out. Merida and I were walking down the castle hallway while she told me what happened last time the three lords and their sons visited the kingdom of Dunbroch.

"So you actually convinced them that they could pick their own wives in the future?" I said to her.

"Yes and the lords agreed as well" she said to me. We both walked down the hallway until we made it out to the large field that was right near the castle. We walked across the stone bridge that was in front of the castle and saw the tents, games, and tables around the area, and the triplets were briefly exploring the area looking to see if there were any treats for them to take secretly. Merida sat on the chair that was right next to Fergus's throne, Elinor was kind enough to have a wooden chair set up for me that was right next to Merida's throne. We both looked at each other, she smiled at me and I gave a wink back to her. I saw the three clans walking towards the kingdom from the docks off in the distance, and I could tell their appearances. Lord Macintosh was a skinny man with a big black beard and had blue paint marks on his arms and chest. Lord MacGuffin was a big fellow with dark green clothing and a yellow beard that covered his face. Lord Dingwall looked older than the other two and had a green kilt and white hair. I watched the lords walk towards us as they they headed for the area of tents. The three lords and their clan members walked towards the room and stopped about 13 feet away from the carefully placed thrones and stood in silence so that the king and queen could speak. Fergus and Elinor stood up while Merida and I stayed seated in our seats.

"My lords, today is the day" Elinor said out loud "Many years ago, the clans formed a peace with one another, and throughout the week, we celebrate that union"

"Aye, we have brought your clans together to show that even in the darkest times, our alliance has made us proud, strong, and effective throughout the land" said Fergus. He called on members of the staff who brought out a huge fire pit that stood about 7 feet tall.

"This fire pit symbolizes our peace in this land, we shall lite it to begin the festival, as our peace continues to thrive, this fire will continue to burn with its bright flames" said Elinor. One guard came up with a torch in his hand and walked towards the fire pit.

"By the laws and spirit of this great land, let the festival begin" said Elinor. Immediately after she said that, the guard lit the fire pit, and flames arose from the gigantic chalice. Everyone cheered as the fire rose and soon the festival started to get on track. People spread out through the area, and I went over to where the three lords were talking to Fergus and Elinor (with their sons at their side) so that I could introduce myself to the three leaders.

"Hello your majesties" I said to the king and queen "Sorry I interrupted you but I think some introductions are in order".

"Ah yes" said Elinor "My lords, this is Edward, our daughter found him in the woods and he is staying with us". I went over and shook hands with the three lords and their sons, and I was honored to finally meet all three of them in person. I then went over to shake hands with their sons, who looked pretty similar to their fathers. Then, I saw Merida walking into the tent so that she could say hello to the lords and their sons as well.

"So what do you do for a living" asked Young Macintosh.

"I'm a traveler" I replied to him "I sometimes travel by sea, I mostly travel by land, and I have been roaming the country side for the past 2 years now"

"Well you ought to have someone waiting for you back home" Wee Dingwall said. I sighed a bit after hearing that and decided that I would explain why I'm even out here in the first place.

"I don't have a home" I said to them "I use to have two parents that loved me with all their hearts, until… he showed up"

"Who?" asked Merida. I looked around and the sons, Merida, all of the adults, even the triplets were wondering the same thing.

"Alrek the hunter" I said out loud, everyone gasped and whispered to each other. Then I told everyone about what happened two years ago where he destroyed my village and killed my parents, and a year later of how I received combat training from a mysterious stranger and how I gave Alrek the scar and sank his ship. After I was done talking, the people inside the tent were amazed.

"So, you killed him?" asked Merida.

"Well, supposedly" I replied "I'm not sure if he's really dead or not, and I don't know when I'll ever find out". Fergus and the other lords looked at me and seemed to have some respect for me.

"Well lad, you should be congratulated" said Lord MacGuffin.

"For what?" I asked him.

"For facing one of the most feared people in all of the land" he replied. Then his son spoke some sort of gibberish which I couldn't understand, but I could tell that it was a compliment.

"Aye, that sounds like some foe you faced" said Young Macintosh.

"Your skills would make you a great competitor in the games that we have hosted in the festival, would you like to see them" Elinor suggested.

"I'd love to" I replied to the queen.

"You can go with Merida and the lords sons" she said.

"Alright then" I said to her. Then I followed Merida and the lord's sons out of the tent so they could show me the games for the festival.

**Alright so that's the end of the chapter, and I hope you liked it as much as I did; I will try to update as soon as possible. Spoiler alert: In the next chapter, I will reveal that one of Edwards's talents is that he is an amazing Knife thrower, just like Merida is an excellent archer. See you later. **


	7. Continuing the Festival

**Hey there readers, so when we last left our story, the festival had just begun and Edward had explained his exploits and how he defeated Alrek. I hope you guys like this chapter, and make sure you review for me once you're finished, Enjoy.**

Chapter 7

_(Merida's POV)_

I was walking with Edward and the sons across the active festival grounds, showing Edward the many activities and games around the area. At one point I saw Hamish, Hubert, and Harris sneaking around the area, trying to find anything that could be useful to them later on. Edward was talking a bit with our three friends, getting to know them better and I spotted an archery area and figured that it would be a good time to use my bow for a bit. I turned to the boys behind me and they all looked at me.

"So, which of you boys would like to see how their archery skills have improved?" I asked them. They all nodded in approval and we headed to the archery range where the targets were all set up. The Boys got the bows and arrows out, and so did I and we all lined up to each individual target and proceeded to shoot the targets. Some people saw us getting into position and decided to watch us play our friendly competition. I was up first, I aimed my sight at the target in front of me and I let go of the strings, the arrow soared through the air and hit the bulls-eye as it always does. Young Macintosh was up next; he aimed his sight on the target, took a deep breath, fired, and the arrow hit the area that was close to the bulls-eye. Wee Dingwall shot but missed and landed in a tree, and Young MacGuffin shot the arrow and it hit the outside area of the target. Finally, Edward came up and drew the arrow back and did everything that I taught him, he let lose the string, and the arrow hit the bulls-eye. The other boys looked at him and Macintosh and MacGuffin both gave him a nod of approval.

"Wait, I have something else that I'm good at" Edward said to us "Bring out another target" soon some guards brought out another target and we were all watching him, as well as the spectators around us. He dropped his bow and pulled out his knife. Some of the spectators saw this and thought that he was joking.

"What are you going to do, run up and stab the target?" one person asked sarcastically. Other people started laughing at the joke and Edward had a calm expression on his face. He quickly threw his knife and it hit the bulls-eye perfectly, when the people saw his move, they were all quiet, probably through amazement. The boys and I were amazed as well as I walked over to him.

"I didn't know you could do that" I said to him "That was amazing"

"Yeah, I have been skilled with a knife since I learned it from the warrior" said Edward. I smiled with impression, and I heard some spectators whispering to each other about him.

"That's some skill you've got there" said Young Macintosh, and the others agreed, soon we all looked at each other and continued to fire the arrows until we were all out of them.

"Would you like to see what else they have here?" I asked them.

"Sure" they all replied. We walked around the area with Edward holding my hand and we both smiled at each other. Soon Edward saw some swords and decided to see if he could be the best swords man in the land.

"Hey Merida, you're good with a bow and arrow, but are you good with a sword?" Edward asked me.

"Of course I am" I replied to him "Why, would you like to go for a little duel?"

"Yes, I do" he replied to me. With that said, we both walked over to the area that had a wooden plank on the ground to show us the limit of where we could fight. We both found some swords on the ground and walked onto the plank.

"If I win this round you owe me a dance" He said to me. I heard this and figured that this meant that he was hitting on me.

"Deal" I replied. After we stepped back several paces, the both of us charged and our swords met. We playfully dodged and blocked our attacks and we both laughed as we continued our little fight.

"Well, you're not so bad with a sword either" he said while throwing attacks.

"Thanks, you're not bas either" I replied to him. The fight went on for several minutes until he managed to make the sword fall out of my hand. I stumbled back a bit about to fall off the plank, he reached for my hand and grabbed it, but we both fell off the plank and onto the ground. We both looked at each other with a smile and laughed a bit after the sword fight.

"So, I guess this means I owe you a dance later?" I said to him.

"Yes, but only when the time is right" he replied to me. We both got up and headed off with the other sons to see what else was at the festival.

_(Edward's POV)_

After many hours of fun activities at the festival, night had fallen and the festival was still about, torches were lit around the tent filled areas, and you could hear music and laughter in the air. I sat up on a rock that was high above the area, watching the festival continue around me with everybody having fun. I heard someone climbing up the rock and I turned around to see Merida climbing up the rocks to see me.

"Hey, what are you doing up here, the festival is continuing down there" she said to me.

"I know that, I'm just relaxing up here for a minute" I said to her.

"Oh, do you mind if I join you?" she asked me.

"Of course you can" I said to her. Then she bent down and sat right next to me and we both looked at the festival below us, and the shining stars above us. While we were up there, I wondered how her mother allows her to have her freedom.

"Hey Merida, I'm just wondering, how do your mother and father allow you to go your own way, usually they would try to get you to take their place" I asked her.

"It's a long story" she said to me.

"Do you have the time?" I asked her. Then, she told me the story about how her mother wanted her to be lady like, and she turned to a witch for a spell that would change her fate. The spell revealed to have turned her mother into a bear, and how she managed to change her back. After she was finished, I was pretty amazed by all of this. Suddenly, I had the strange feeling inside me again and I finally realized what it was. So I figured that now would be the perfect opportunity to finally get it out of my chest.

"Merida" I said to her "Can I tell you a little secret?"

"Of course you can" she replied. So she got up and we both looked at each other and I began to speak.

"Look, I've had this feeling inside of me ever since I first met you, and I keep feeling it every time I come by you, but I keep having to hide it" I said to her "Basically, what I think I'm trying to say is that… I love you, you are unlike any girl I have met before and I think that you are the most beautiful person in the entire land, sorry I had to tell you this" She looked at me after I finished my speech and smiled a bit.

"There's no need to be sorry" she replied "Because I feel the same way too" I looked at her and couldn't believe it.

"You really feel the same way for me?" I asked her surprised.

"Of course I do" she replied "I have my freedom but what good is it without someone to share it with"

"I can't imagine" I said to her. Then, our faces slowly moved closer together and the next thing I knew, her lips were pressed against mine with our eyes closed, and I felt like a fire was bursting inside of me. The kiss lasted for about 10 seconds until we departed, we both looked at each other and we both smiled.

"Are you going to come back down to the festival?" she asked me.

"Yes, I'm just gonna sit here for a little bit" I replied to her

"Alright then, I'll see you back down there" she said to me before she got off the rocks and went back down to the tent area. After she left, I looked up into the skies and thought about my parents.

"Mother, Father" I said "I know that you are probably in a better place right now, I know that I wanted to save you, but It was your decision to keep me safe and I understand that, all I know is that you guys are probably happy together wherever you are" After I took the moment to remember them. I went back down to rejoin the others in the tent filled area.

**Hey, so that's the end of the chapter, I hope you guy's liked it as much as I did. Make sure you please leave a review for me before you leave, and I will try update as soon as possible. Oh, and I just want you guys to know that there will be some action later in the story. Oh, and make sure you leave some Ideas for me for the rest of the story as well. See you guys later.**


	8. Warning's

**Hello readers, I know you have been waiting patiently for the next chapter, well here it is. The action will be coming close in the story so stay on watch. Make sure you leave a review for me before you leave, and please keep giving me Ideas for what happens next, Enjoy.**

Chapter 8

_(Edwards POV)_

After the long night, the first day of the festival was over, and the torches were being burnt out so that they could be used tomorrow. Some of the clan members that came here slept in tents outside, others slept in the castle. Merida and I went up the stairs, said goodnight to the king and queen, and we went off to our rooms. I gave her a kiss on the cheek goodnight as we walked to our rooms and she smiled. I closed the door to my room and felt that I had just made a huge impact on my life, like I had something inside me that was finally set free. I got washed up and went to my bed and decided to lie down for a minute, the next thing I knew, I fell asleep. Suddenly, I opened my eyes to see that a piece of cloth was covering my face and I could tell that somebody had kidnapped me, but I didn't know where they were taking me. Then, they placed me on the ground and they took the bag off my head so that I could see. I looked at my surroundings which was an area in the forest. Several men were standing around me, they had weapons and torches in their hands and they were positioned at me in case I tried to escape.

"Where am I?" I asked out loud "Who are you people?" I looked at them still questioning them until I heard a voice off in the distance.

"They work for me" said the man. I turned towards the direction he was in and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He was a middle aged man with a short dark beard, heavy clothing, and a terrible scar on his face. I quickly realized that it was Alrek the hunter, my enemy who I thought I had killed so long ago.

"You" I said shocked.

"Yes it's me" Alrek replied "It's been a while"

"But, you're dead" I said still shocked.

"You think so" he said to me "After you gave me that scar and sank my ship, I managed to swim myself to shore and I gathered more followers with one thing in my mind, that I would find you, and make you pay, you left me to die in those waters"

"Well you murdered my parents a year before so I guess we're even" I said to him.

"I brought you out here for a warning" he said to me "I know where you are resting, I know of Fergus the bear king and his family, and I have decided that this kingdom has lived and prospered long enough" I looked at him horrified by what he was saying to me.

"You're going to destroy the kingdom" I said to him.

"Yes" he replied with a smear "The kingdom will be nothing but a baren wasteland, and I will destroy you" He looked at me and figured that I got the message, not he wanted me to pass it on.

"Now, tell Fergus that I will be coming, and soon his kingdom will burn" he said to me "Let him go, I think he understands clearly" Then, his two men untied me and threw me back into the forest. Then I ran with as much energy as I could back to Dunbroch, to warn them about the danger that will come to them.

_(Merida's POV)_

The sun was rising in the sky as the warm brightness filled the morning air. I got up, but there was no sign of Edward anywhere, nor was my family at the breakfast table. I went outside to see where everybody was, and I saw something that I wasn't suspecting. People were gathering their belongings and heading into the castle while the warriors and soldiers were running to the side of the hill that had the tent set up where the three lords and my father were with Edward discussing something. I went up there to see what was going on, as soon as I got to the inside of the tent, I looked at my mother and father.

"What's happening, what's going on" I said to them. My mother and father looked at each other and then back at me.

"Edward came running out of the forest this morning" said my father "He said that Alrek is alive, and he is going to attack the kingdom"

"He is going to attack" Edward said to me "But it was fortunate for your parents and the lords to believe me, I made the decision to have all the villagers barricaded inside the castle for their own safety"

"What about you?" I asked him "Where are you going to be?"

"I'll stay out here with your father and the soldiers" Edward replied to me. I was shocked to hear this and I felt that I should get in on this too.

"Wait, I can stay and help" I said to him.

"No, your mother and father want you to stay inside with your brothers" he said. I tried to protest against him.

"But I can fight!" I said protesting.

"So can I" he replied. He took a deep breath and looked at me "Merida, I don't want anything to happen to you, I had lost two people I cared about, and I don't want the same thing to happen to you" I looked at him, and I realized that he was probably right.

"Alright, I'll stay inside" I said to him.

"Thank you" he replied. Then, I saw my three brothers who were hearing the conversation the whole time, and I had to get them inside so that they could be safe. So to my mother and father's decision, I gathered all three of my brothers and headed back to the castle, with the lords sons coming along with me so that they could keep me safe. As I was walking away with the six boys, I caught a last glimpse of Edward grabbing a sword and walking off with the three lords for battle.

**Alright guys, so here is where the chapter ends. Sorry if it's a little too short for some of you, but it's easier this way, and I promise the next chapter will be longer. So please leave a review for me before you leave and make sure you also leave in the reviews section some Idea's about what will happen in the next chapter I will see you guys later.**


	9. The First Attack

**Hey there readers, this is the chapter where the action is finally taking shape. I appreciate you guys for supporting me with your reviews and I hope that you guys continue to review my story. So anyway, make sure you review for me before you leave, enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 9

_(Edwards POV)_

I stood on the edge of the hill with some battle armor on me and a sword at my side. I looked at Fergus and he looked at me. Our soldiers were hiding in position around us, waiting for the enemy to strike. I thought about how he found me, and about Merida and her family, and I felt that it was partially my fault that Alrek found me in the first place. Then, me and Fergus looked out into the open and saw a group of people walking towards us; I immediately knew that these men were with Alrek. I noticed that Alrek wasn't here, instead I saw a man who looked to be in his mid-40s, he was probably Alrek's second in command. Fergus and I looked at them and prepared to take out our weapons in case the group starts to attack.

"Are you the noble king Fergus?" The man yelled to Fergus

"Aye" Fergus yelled back "I see that your boss hasn't exactly shown up"

"He won't be coming here yet" said the man "After I take care of you I will inform him that I have done my job, if not, then you don't know what consequences he shall bring upon you"

"I wouldn't think of it" I said to him. Suddenly, a soldier who was positioning a bow and arrow hesitated and fire his arrow, even though we didn't give the order. The arrow flew through the air and it hit an enemy soldier on the other side of the field. Fergus and I looked at the soldier, who had looked to us and realized that we didn't order him to fire yet. The enemy soldier on the other side collapsed to the ground and the commander gave a silent order to his forces and the troops charged at us. Fergus gave the order, and his men charged as well, I went out into the field to fight and the battle had begun. I slashed my sword as several soldiers came running at me, but I was beter than them and I overpowered them. Then, I was hit by an incoming soldier and was knocked to the ground. Just as the soldier was about to kill me, an arrow came in and went straight into his chest. I looked over to my back to see who this helper was, and in that area was Merida standing on a high rock with her bow and arrow pouch at her side. I ran over to her and she came over to me.

"Merida, aren't you supposed to be inside?" I asked her.

"I know I want to help you" she said to me.

"Well, I guess you can help us" I said to her "Is your mother ok about that?"

"She said that it's fine as long as I stay close to the castle" she said to me.

"Alright, I need you to stay on those rocks and see if you can shoot any soldiers from long range" I said to her. She nodded, and headed back to the top of the tall rocks and continued to fire arrows at the enemy while I headed back to the fields to help Fergus and his soldiers. I continued to slash enemy soldiers with my sword while I watched Fergus's men fight bravely. Suddenly, the commander toppled over me by jumping off his sword and we both engaged in a sword fight in the middle of the field. I lunged at him while he tried to lay some attacks on me, but I blocked them with every bit of energy that I had. Then, one of Merida's arrows hit the commander and he fell to the ground with a wound in his left elbow. The rest of the enemy soldiers were falling back, and Fergus and I knew that we had won the first round, but it wasn't over yet. Merida went down to where we were and the three of us walked over to the commander who was lying on the ground with the arrow still in his elbow.

"Well, seems like your victory was too far away" said Fergus. The commander, dyeing from his wounds, looks the three of us, and laughs a bit.

"This is only the beginning fools" He said to us "Alrek will have this kingdom, even if it means targeting someone closest to you" Then, his breath ran out and he layed on the ground motionless as I looked at his body. Merida walked over to me and I looked at her and we both hugged each other as Fergus and his soldiers started to round up the wounded and bring them back inside the castle.

_(Merida's POV)_

Back inside the castle, Men that were wounded were being carried to the infirmary room while the other clans and my family rested after what just happened today. My three brothers walked over to me and had the same feeling as I did. My mother had told the three clans that the festival will continue until this situation was taken care of, which didn't seem to mind to them as long as they were safe inside. I searched for Edward everywhere until I learned from my father that he is out on the balcony. I walked up the stairs of the tower to Edward who was just standing near the edge of the balcony with his head down and a look of guilt on his face. I walked slowly to him and he knew somehow that I was present.

"Edward?" I asked softly trying to comfort him.

"Hey Merida" he said, I could tell that he looked like he did something wrong.

"What's the matter?" I asked him.

"This is my fault" he said to me "I shouldn't have come to this place"

"Why would you say that?" I asked him worried.

"Well I didn't know that Alrek was still alive but now that I do, I know that this whole place is in danger, he isn't going to stop until he's killed me, along with you and everybody else" he said to me "Maybe if I just turn myself over to him and he can torture me, kill me and mount my skull on his wall"

"You will not do that" I said, protesting against what he was saying.

"At least just let you and everybody else live" he said.

"Why are you even thinking about doing this" I said to him with tears in my eyes.

"Because I just don't want you to become what I have become" he said to me "Merida, you're a beautiful girl, and you deserve a beautiful life, you have a home, a family, everything a girl could ask for". I looked at him with some tears in my eyes and he wiped them away from my face.

"I appreciate that" I said to him "But please, do anything but turn yourself in to this man, I would feel miserable without you, I know it's a risk, but I feel like I finally found someone who I actually consider being with" Edward looked at me and still had on his face.

"I would feel bad without you too, and I love you" he said to me "It's just, I lost everything that I cared about, and I don't want the same thing to happen to you"

"I understand, but please, don't leave me" I pleaded him. He looked at me, and he appeared to have finally made a decision.

"I won't leave" he said to me "I promise you I won't give in to this man" I smiled and figured that he had made the right choice. We both kissed for a short amount of time before we went back inside the castle which the doors and gates were now being locked from the inside for the protection of the kingdom.

**Hey guys, so that's the end of the chapter, I hope you guys liked it. I know the battle was a little short (Description wise), but later on there will be a lot more action that will be described a bit more. Please leave a review for me before you leave, see you guys later.**


	10. Kidnapped

**Hey there readers, I hope you guys have been waiting patiently, because the latest chapter for this story is finally here. So I'm starting to ramp up the action in this story (Which I know that you guys are happy about) and there will be some surprises throughout the rest of the story. Anyway please leave a review for me before you leave and please enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 10

_(Merida's POV)_

It's been a few hours since the kingdom has been locked from the inside, and some people are starting to give up hope that Alrek will even leave. Edward has decided to stay and fight with us (which I'm glad about) and I wonder if we will have the strength and courage to pull out of this situation. Men, women and children were resting throughout the hallways of the castle which didn't seem to mind to my parents, and my brothers were up to their usual mischief, mostly on the guards who were walking through the castle. The lords were talking with my parents about what is going to happen to this kingdom, and Edward watched as it continued to unfold. It was getting late, so Edward and I decided to get some rest for the night. Edward went into his room, and I went into mine. I looked around my room, which was always the same old room that I slept in with the tapestry and my personal belongings around me, I looked around the room and old memories were coming back to me. Memories of how me and my Father sword fight sometimes together, of how my mother use to tell me stories when I was younger. Then I thought about if it were all taken away from me, but I knew that it wasn't going to happen, as Edward promised.

"Goodnight Edward" I said to myself. I could tell that he was thinking the same thing. I rested for a few minutes in my bed, and then I closed my eyes and went to sleep. I woke up later that night to hear a noise which sounded like several men were getting into the hallway. I looked around my dark room and slowly got up out of my bed and I picked up my bow and loaded an arrow into it as I walked slowly to the door. I opened the door and walked out into the hallway with my bow and arrow at my side.

"Whose there" I said out into the hallway. I looked around the dimly lit hallway, but I couldn't see anybody. I felt a soft breeze on my back, and turned around to see that someone had broken the window and came in through there. I walked slowly towards the window and I looked out to see if there was anybody down there. Instead I found several dead guards lying dead in the grass and that someone had tied a rope to the bottom of the window. I didn't see anybody down there and I figured that they were gone. Suddenly, three men came up behind me and started to attack me. I fired my arrow which hit one man's leg; the man pulled it out and dropped it onto the floor, where it was still dripping blood onto the stone floor. I tried to scream for help but one man put a piece of cloth over me while another man was holding me down. The leader of the group walked up to me with a piece of wood in his hand.

"Calm down child" he said to me "Our master has something special in mind for you" Then, he hit the piece of wood on my head, and knocked me out cold as everything went black.

_(Edwards POV)_

I woke up in the morning to hear some noises out in the hallway, mostly mumbling, but some crying. I got up out of bed, entered the hallway and walked over to see that something happened last night. Queen Elinor was crying next to Fergus who was trying to comfort her, and I walked over to find out what had happened.

"Elinor, Fergus, what happened here?" I asked them. Elinor looked at me with tears in her eyes and continued crying, but told me what happened.

"Merida is gone" she said "And we don't know where she is" I looked around the area where the scene took place. On the ground there was a small arrow that was still stained with blood, and there was a trail of drops of blood that led straight to the broken window. Nailed to the side of the broken glass was a small piece of paper that contained a message. I picked up the letter and I walked over to Fergus and Elinor.

"Hey, look at this" I said to them. They both looked at the letter, Fergus took it from my hand, opened it, and read the message out loud which said:

_King Fergus and Queen Elinor,_

_We have your daughter, if you ever want to see her alive again, you will give the boy to us, if you refuse, then we will lay your kingdom to waste and leave it in ruins._

_Alrek the hunter_

After Fergus finished reading the letter out loud, some of the people around me started looking at me with such contempt, and I knew that they were going to blame me for this. Later, Fergus and Elinor were standing in front of their thrones, with a crowd of villagers protesting on turning me in to Alrek to save this kingdom.

"Now, I understand that most of you are thinking about this" Elinor said to the crowd "But surly there must be another way to solve this"

"I say give Alrek what he wants" one villager yelled from the crowd.

"Aye, I'd say give him the boy rather than have this place destroyed" another villager said. Soon, people saw me behind the thrones and started throwing food at me in disgust and anger. I walked out of the room disappointed. Elinor and Fergus followed me outside, while employing the lords to try to tame the crowd of people. I saw them coming to me and figured that they were here to try to get me to stay and fight for them.

"What's wrong now lad?" Fergus asked me. I looked at both of them, and then let out a sign and looked to the ground.

"Everybody's right" I said to them "This all started because of me, I should probably just give myself to him anyways, just so that we can solve all of this"

"Don't do that" Elinor said to me "We would rather defend our land than give in to a man who doesn't know what honor means, stay and fight with us"

"Why should I" I said to them "I'm just as useless as any other soldier"

"Oh you're more than a soldier lad" said Fergus "I've seen the way you fight in battle, the way that you don't show fear, you're a warrior"

"I don't know what that means anymore" I said o them. With that said, I walked out of the gates and across the stone bridge. I walked out into the forest, thinking about what I had done, what this had all caused, and I felt that everything would be destroyed because of me. I walked out into a large grassy area, but what I didn't know until I looked up were that there were large stone columns that were in a circle around the area. I looked up at them in marvel and figured that it must have taken most me many years to carve them; one of them had fallen as if the structure had collapsed. Suddenly, I heard a noise off in the distance, which sounded soft and echoed a bit. I turned around to see a small blue creature that looked like a small blue fire burning in the air and it had two bright eyes looking at me. It was moving its arms, as if it wanted me to come closer. I walked towards it to get a closer look, and just as I was about to touch it, it disappeared. Then, a whole trail of them appeared in the darkest part of the forest. I quickly recognized these creatures as the Will Oa the Wisps, which Merida had told me about before in her story, they said that they would lead you to your fate. So, I decided to follow them on the trail, not knowing where they will lead me to.

**I hope you guys liked the appearance of the** **Will Oa the Wisps, where will they lead Edward to. So I hope you liked the chapter, and make sure you leave some reviews for me and I will update as soon as possible, See ya.**


	11. The Witch

**Hello my fellow readers, so when we last left off, Edward walked away from the kingdom, only to start following the trail of the Will Oa the Wisps. This will show us exactly where they will lead him to. Make sure you review once you're done, enjoy.**

Chapter 11

_(Edwards POV)_

I followed the trail of Wisps through the forest which was starting to get dark and foggy, I kept following them until the last one disappeared right to where it led me. I looked up to see a small cottage with grass on the roof, and some interesting wood carvings between the doors.

"Why did the wisps lead me here?" I wondered to myself. Then I recalled Merida's story about finding a witches cottage out in the forest and how the witch gave her a spell. I thought that since this hut belonged to a witch, she could give me something that could defeat Alrek, so there was some hope left after all. I walked down the hill and headed straight to the front door, I opened the doors, a bell rang, and in the room were numerous wood carvings surrounding the room.

"See anything you like" someone said to me. I turned around to see a small old woman with white hair and a dark green cloak "There are many wood carvings here, everything is half off" I looked at her with confusion.

"I just followed a trail of wisps that led me here" I said to her. Then I thought for a minute and realized that this is the woman that I was looking for "You're a witch aren't you"

"Wood carver" she said possibly so that she could keep it a secret from me. I suddenly saw her broom in the corner that was sweeping all by itself.

"Your broom, it's sweeping in midair" I said to the witch. She turned fast and snapped her fingers, causing the broom to stop and go to the side of the room.

"Now you're just making up nonsense lad" she said to me.

"You really are a witch" I said to her.

"Wood carver" she said back to me. I looked around the room to see if there was any more evidence that she was a witch, I saw a black crow on one of the wood carvings with unusually big eyes, I moved my arms to touch it and it looked at me.

"Hey, starring is rude" the crow said to me. I jumped back in alarm; the witch heard this and summoned a broom that whacked the crow.

"Your crow just talked" I said to her, and I kept finding several things that revealed that she was a witch (Mostly things that were floating in midair), and she kept claiming that she was just a simple wood carver. After I found out she really was a witch, she turned to me with a usual cranky look like most old people do.

"Look, if you're not here to buy anything, get out" she snapped her fingers and various sharp objects like knives and hatchets floated in front of me.

"You don't understand I need your help" I said pleading with her.

"I said get out" she said to me with the knives coming closer to me, I backed up to the entrance and I still pleaded with her.

"Just listen to me, this is about Alrek the hunter" I said to her. Once I said his name, the witch stopped for a moment, and then she looked back at me straight in the eyes.

"Why do you dare say that name to me" she asked me.

"Because he is threatening the kingdom of Dunbroch, and the king and queens daughter has been kidnapped" I said to her "I need your help" after I told her about my situation, she looked at me and figured that I needed help, as if she encountered Alrek before.

"Well, why didn't you say so then lad" she said to me. Then, she walked out of the front door and snapped her fingers. She reentered the cottage, and the scenery was completely different, the walls now had shelves of potions and mixtures, it was a little dark in the room, and there was a big black cauldron in the center of the room.

"Come in now" she said to me "We have much to discuss" and with that, I walked into the cottage, hoping that she will give me useful information.

_(Merida's POV)_

I woke up slowly to find myself in a darkly lit room made of wood and stone. My clothes were ripped up a little bit on the sides; I got up from the floor that I was on to find that I was trapped inside a jail cell that was locked from the outside, I looked around to see if anybody else was here, but so far no one seemed to speak up. Suddenly, I heard the doors open and three men walked into the dungeon and stood in front of my cell.

"Who are you men?" I asked them nervously "Where am I?"

"I think you will figure that out quickly" I heard a man say. The three men looked to the entrance and stood to attention. I looked out my cell to see who it was, and sure enough, there stood a man with dark clothing, a heavy beard, and a terrible scar on his face.

"Alrek the hunter" I said, knowing immediately who he was.

"Why yes princess" he said "How did you know it was me?"

"I recognized you because of your scar that Edward gave you" I said to him.

"Ah yes, the boy that you and your family are keeping" he said to me with a smirk.

"Where am I" I asked him.

"You are in the dungeon of my fortress" he said to me "This was built just outside of your kingdom so that we could get closer to it" He moved closer to me and looked me in the eyes with fear inside of me "Listen princess, I don't think that you will keep him with you for long, eventually he will turn himself over to me and I will destroy your kingdom anyway" I looked at him with fear in my eyes but knew that Edward would never do such a thing.

"No, he'll never give in to you" I said to him "He will come for me and when he does, your days of destroying kingdoms will be over"

"I beg to differ" he said to me "How do you think that he's coming for you?"

"Because he said that he would never give up" I said to him.

"Well, until he makes his decision, you will be staying with us for now princess" Alrek said to me. Then, he locked up my cage and had several guards standing between it while Alrek walked away laughing. I got down on my knees for a minute, then I thought about what he could do to my family, my home, how he could lay it to waste. After thinking about what Alrek could do to me, I started crying, fearing that my home will have a similar fate as Edward's.

"Where are you Edward" I said to myself before I continued to cry in my cell.

**Don't worry folks, more secrets will be revealed to you, and more action will be in store just as well. I hope you guys like this chapter and please make sure to review for me before you leave, and I will update as soon as possible, see ya. **


	12. The Plan

**Hey guys, since I have a lot of spare time with me now, I seem to be getting this writing done a lot faster. So this chapter will pick up right where we left off where Edward enters the witch's cottage, and a few surprises will be in store for you guys. So make sure you leave some more reviews after you finish reading and enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 12

_(Edwards POV)_

I walked into the witches hut which had shelves filled with various bottles and potions and the big, black cauldron in the center of the room. I remembered the way that the witch acted when I said Alrek's name, so I decided to ask her some questions, to see if she knows him.

"When was the last time you ran into Alrek the hunter" I asked the witch.

"Last time I saw him he claimed that he was a lost traveler" said the witch "He demanded that I'd give him something that allows someone to be protected from harm, and I gave him a special stone to wear around his neck, but soon after I gave it to him, he almost tried to take me in, but I escaped, I've feared that man ever since"

"Wait, you said a charm that protects people from harm?" I asked her.

"Oh yes, a special stone that a person can wear around his neck" she replied to me "Why do you ask?"

"Because a year ago, I found him, and I sunk his ship, and I thought that he went down with it as well, so he must have used the stone and that's how he survived the sinking of his own ship" I said to her.

"Ah, so I guess you hate him too then" she said to me.

"Yes" I replied "Because he killed my parents two years ago" I said to him.

"Well, at least I'm not the only one who hates him" the witch replied to me.

"Is there any way that you can help me?" I asked her "I don't know where they have taken Merida, and I just threw the kingdom into utter chaos"

"Well, I can tell you the location of his fortress" the witch said to me.

"He has a new fortress?" I asked her.

"Yes, my crow found it, just outside of the kingdom" she said "Here is a map that leads you to the location" Then, she handed me two maps, the first one showed the area of the land that showed an x mark on it where Alrek's castle was, the second was a layout map of the castle.

"Thank you" I said to her "But, I'm not sure if I can do this, I feel like I won't be able to save her, I think what I'm trying to say is… I don't think that I'm that good of a warrior" The witch looked at me with a smile on her face.

"Don't worry lad" she said to me "A wise man once said that a warrior may sharpen his Iron, but never his heart, a true warrior knows the value of honor and bravery, I believe that you are destined for greatness" I looked at her, and felt that she was telling me the truth.

"You're right" I said to her "Thank you for your help, it will be useful" I got up out of my seat to leave and brought the big magical map with me and rolled it up so that I wouldn't lose it.

"Oh and one more thing" the witch said. She rummaged through her drawers and picked out a small horn and gave it to me "Once you have defeated Alrek, blow on this so that you can return the stone to me"

"Alright, thank you" I said to her. I walked out of the hut and waved goodbye to her. I walked away, but when I turned to say something to her, I was right back where I started, in the middle of the stone structures that surrounded the grassy area. I stood in the center for a bit, until something nudged my shoulders. I turned around to see that my horse was standing right next to me. I petted him and wondered how he survived the wolf attack, I could tell that he was out in the forest for a while because of the worn out settle. He got here just in time, because I knew how to save Merida, and I needed an army to do it. I rode my horse back to the castle, and I picked my knife that was still on the ground where I dropped it. Once I got inside, the three lords and Fergus along with the sons and some soldiers were arguing about how they would find Merida, Elinor saw me and walked over to me.

"Oh thank goodness your back" said Elinor "Fergus is talking about how to get Merida back, but so far we don't know how"

"Don't worry, I think I have a plan" I said to her. I went over to the table and decided to think of a loud way to get their attention.

"SHUT IT!" I yelled at the table, and sure enough, the men at the table all stopped talking and looked at me, Fergus was the one who was surprised by my return the most since he didn't know I could speak up that loud.

"Now, I feel that you all have no idea where they have taken Merida, but I do" I said to them.

"Well don't just stand there lad, spit it out" said lord MacGuffin. I picked up my map and I rolled it out and placed it on the table for the lords and Fergus to see I pointed to the x mark on the map.

"Here is Alrek's fortress" I said to them pointing to it on the map "A friend of mine gave me this map and said that it was secretly built far outside of the kingdom, which I think is where they took Merida to, and are holding her there"

"So we just break, round up his little gang and set Merida free" said Fergus

"That isn't going to be easy" I said to him "There are hundreds of guards surrounding the place, and they are possibly going to be expecting us"

"Well then, how do you suggest that we break in there then" asked Lord Dingwall. I stood by the table and looked at everybody, and I found out the perfect plan.

"Alright, I have an Idea" I said to them "And each and every one of you has their own part in this"

"Let's hear it then" said Lord Macintosh, I stood up and cleared my throat.

"Ok, so I found out earlier that Merida is here, in the dungeon part of the fortress" I said to them "First, we will have your soldiers hide in the forest outside of the fortress and fire a wave of arrows at certain areas to weaken their defenses. Then, we will send soldiers led by you four as a decoy while I go in with several men to get Merida out and possibly take care of Alrek myself"

"Alright then, but who will go with you then" asked Fergus.

"I'll go" said Young Macintosh.

"As will I" replied Wee Dingwall. Young MacGuffin spoke in some gibberish that I couldn't understand, but I knew that he wanted to come with me as well.

"You three will come with me then" I said. I turned over to Fergus and Elinor "Oh, and your majesties, you don't mind if I bring Hamish, Hubert and Harris along do you?"

"Why on earth would you bring our three sons along on a dangerous mission?" Elinor asked nervously.

"I've seen the way that they can sneak past any guards and can fit through tight spaces, they will be useful" I said to them "Besides, once they are finished with their jobs, I'll call for a horse to take them back to you in a campsite hidden in the forest where they will be safe" Elinor looked worried, but figured that her sons are capable of getting out of a sticky situation.

"Very well then" she said to me "They will come with you" I smiled and knew that the plan was set in motion.

"Alright, it's settled then" I said to the four lords "First we need to send a message to Alrek to convince him that I'm gonna turn myself in to him, and I know just what to say"

_(Merida's POV)_

I laid down on the stone floor for hours, resting uncomfortably while Alrek entered the room to check on me to see if I didn't try to escape.

"Ah, if it isn't the little princess" he said mockingly "You know that he won't be coming for you"

"No, he will come for me, I just know it" I said to him "I've seen the way he fights in battle, you should be the one who is to look out"

"I'd never think of it" he replied to me. Then, one of his guards came up to him and said that Edward has sent him a message. He picked it out of the guards hand and began to read it out loud soft enough for me to hear:

_Dear Alrek,_

_I have no different way of settling this situation but to give myself to you. Move the locks covering the gates and open them and meet me out there at mid-day when the sun is highest in the sky. I shall hand myself over in exchange for the girls safe return._

_Sincerely, Edward_

I was shocked by hearing this, but I figured that it was some sort of set up that he was going to use to save me. Alrek looked at his guard in a questioning look.

"Why did he write this in red ink?" he asked his guard.

"I don't know, but you did the same thing" he replied to him.

"Hmm, I don't trust this guy" said Alrek "Anyway, set up the defenses just in case" I knew after he said that that this is going to be one big fight.

**Alright then, so this is where the chapter ends, I hope you guys enjoyed it. So make sure you leave a review before you leave, and I will update as soon as possible.**


	13. The Rescue

**Hello readers, I hope you've liked my story so far. So this is the chapter where Edwards plan is set into motion, and the triplets will play a big part in Edwards plan. Anyway please subscribe to me and make sure you review for me before you leave, enjoy.**

Chapter 13

_(Edward's POV)_

It was bright and sunny on this day, but this was a special day, the day that my plan is finally set in motion. I stood in the campsite in the forest far from Alrek's reach, but close enough so we could get there. The lords and their sons were with me, along with Fergus and the triplets, and Elinor had a large scale version of the map of the fortress nailed on a wooden board so that we will know what damage we made on the fortress. I went to the three lords who were getting their soldiers into position.

"Hello Fergus" I said to him, he turned to me and smiled.

"Our soldiers are all set and ready to go" he said to me.

"Good, we can use your attack as a distraction while I free your daughter" I said to him. I then walked over to the sons and the triplets, who were getting their things ready for our rescue plan.

"Are you guys ready?" I asked them.

"Yep" the sons replied. The triplets looked at me a nodded their heads. I walked to Elinor who was with several other soldiers who had her head down with a worried look on her face.

"Don't worry" I said to the queen "We'll get her back"

"I know you will" she said back to me. As soon as we got all of our weapons ready, we set off to the forests near Alrek's castle.

When we arrived there, we all hid in the forests just outside of the fortress that was built by a cliff to see that the guards were all in position and the gates started to open to reveal Alrek walking outside. I slowly crouched in the bushes with my followers that were near the attacking group.

"Are you out here boy!" Alrek called out into the forest.

"I'm here" I said to him "Just like I said I would be" Fergus and the other lords looked at each other, and then Fergus stepped up.

"Do you have my daughter" Fergus asked out loud.

"Of course we do, but you will give us the boy first" said Alrek.

"Well, alright then" I said "But I have a little something for you first" I gave the silent signal to Fergus and one of his men lit the tip of an arrow on fire, positioned it and shot it up into the air. The arrow landed on a small pile of leaves which was briefly on fire until a guard came up with a bucket of water and doused the flames. I could hear Alrek and his officers laughing, as if I had made a horrible move.

"Is that all you've got boy!" Alrek yelled out to me. Then, I gave another silent signal and fifty more men loaded their bows with flaming arrows and fired them up into the air. Some arrows landed on things that would be useful to them like catapults and weapon crates, while most of them hit the walls, and other areas of the fortress. People all around that area rushed trying to get them out, guards all over the place rush with buckets and blankets to try to douse the flames. A man at the camp site got it and informed Elinor about our attack so far. Then I gave the signal to Fergus and the four lords, and Fergus drew out his sword.

"Come on lads" Fergus yelled out. The attack force charged, as well as Alrek's soldiers, and the fight began. As it continued out into the field, I knew that it was time for my part of the plan.

"Alright boys, let's go" I said to my group. With that said, we sneaked around the battle that was taking place in the fortress grounds and made our way to the roof of the dungeon where they were keeping Merida. I also brought along Merida's bow and arrow pouch so that I could give it to her once we freed her. We saw several guards up there firing down on the soldiers with bows and arrows, and figured that they needed to be taken care of; I looked at the triplets who were right behind me.

"Boys, close your eyes, I don't think you'll want to see this" I said to them. They did as I told him, and the sons and I ran straight at these men and started attacking them. Young Macintosh and I slashed several guards with our swords; Wee Dingwall knocked one out with a rock that he found on the ground, and Young MacGuffin threw one off the roof and into the battle below us, the triplets opened their eyes after the fight was over and the sons looked at me.

"Nice work" I said to them. I looked in through the top window and found Merida in her jail cell sitting down. I looked at young Macintosh who had the rope, and I looked at the triplets.

"Boys" I said to the triplets "Can you fit through this window?" They all nodded in approval "Good, you" I said pointing to Young Macintosh "Give me that rope please.

_(Merida's POV)_

I was lying down on the floor thinking about when Edward will come, until I heard a noise on the roof. I looked up to see that someone was lifting the window to the dungeon off the roof, once it was removed, Edward looked in and I smiled. Just as I was about to say something, he lifted his hands up to stop me, and then made a shushing sound so that I wouldn't alert Alrek, or his guards. Then, some rope fell into the room which was being held by someone, and my three brothers climbed down into the room while Edward kept watch. I looked at all three of them as they landed on the ground and they looked at me as well

"You wee devils" I said to them with a smile. I then saw that the keys to open my cell door were hung on the wall nearby the desk.

"Go get the key over there" I said to them pointing to where they key was, One of them gave a quick nod before they started to go to the desk to get the key. Hubert and Harris piled on top of each other so that Hamish could reach the key, after they wobbled for and bit and almost fell; Hamish grabbed the key and went over to my cell. They unlocked the doors and I got up and I exited my prison, then I started climbing the rope to the rooftops, and I could hear noises, like a battle was going on outside. Once I got out of the window, I saw that the sons of the lords were standing on the roof, and a battle was taking place on the grounds of the fortress where my father and his army had taken part in.

"Are you ok" I heard someone say. I turned around to see Edward who was looking at me, I smiled, ran to him and hugged him.

"I'm fine" I replied to him, after we both hugged for a little bit, I looked into his face "You came for me"

"Of course I did" he replied. Suddenly, we heard a noise coming from below, and we knew that somebody had figured out that we were up here. The four young men got their weapons at the ready, and a hand smashed the door open and Alrek came up through the surface. He looked angry probably because he found out that I was being freed and looked at Edward.

"You" he said with anger in his eyes. Edward saw him and knew that he had to get most of us out of here. He turned over to the three sons who were standing right beside him.

"Get the brothers out of here" Edward said to them. They did as he said, and brought the triplets with them and got them off the rooftop and rushed away from the battle back to the camp site. He turned to me and I knew that I wasn't going to stay.

"You go to a safe area" he said to me "I'll deal with this" I walked over to a far side of the rooftop far away from the two of them. I saw them standing in position, facing each other, then I heard their cries as they charged at each other, and their swords clashed.

**This chapter is over, but the fight will continue in the next chapter. I hope you guys like it, and make sure you review for me before you leave, I promise that I will update as soon as possible.**


	14. The Duel

**Hello readers, only two chapters left for my story, I'm glad that you have all been supporting me through reviews and favorites, and I hope that you guys are appreciating that I am doing this story for you guys. So please leave some reviews one you're done reading, and I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 14

_(Merida's POV)_

I watched as Edward and Alrek clashed their swords with one another, and I needed a time to jump in and help Edward defeat him. I saw their swords swinging through the air as they continued to fight on the rooftop. Edward was fighting him with all of his might, but for some reason, Alrek didn't seem to run out of energy. I snuck behind a crate until I saw my bow and arrow on the ground, and I figured that Edward was going to give it to me one I was freed. I picked both items up and I slouched the bag over my shoulder. Several guards were entering the door and were going to where Edward was fighting Alrek. I acted fast and started shooting at the guards, and some of them fell to the ground. While Edward was hiding from him in time to recover, Alrek looked at his guards.

"Sir are you alright" said one of the guards.

"I'm fine you fool" he said to them. He then saw me, and knew that he wouldn't allow me to get in his way.

"Get the girl" he said pointing to me "I'll take care of the boy"

"Yes sir" the guard replied. After he gave the order to his men, I rushed out onto the outer wall of the fortress while Alrek searched for Edward. I ran and fired arrows at the guards at the same time, and I entered the cargo area of the fortress, which would provide excellent cover against my enemies. The first guard rushed into the room, and I fired at him, hitting the target in the chest while the rest of the guards came in with crossbows and bows and arrows. They started firing at me with various arrows flying through the air, and I shot my arrows at them, shooting them down as they came into the room. One guard jumped on me and tried to strangle me, but I was faster than he was and escaped from his grasp. While that one guard was trying to get a hold of me, I crawled over to a spare arrow that was on the ground, loaded it onto my bow, and shot the guard. I then took cover behind several barrels, and four guards remained in the room closing in on me. I looked in my arrow bag, and just as I thought, four arrows were left in the pouch, which meant I needed to use my shots wisely. I looked through a hole that was behind the first barrel and saw one guard slowly walking towards me. I slowly loaded my bow, aimed at the guard, and fired the arrow, hitting the target perfectly. I did the same to the second guard, as well as the third. The fourth and final guard I looked through the hole to see where he was, but I couldn't find him. Suddenly, I heard a knife drawing behind me; I turned to see that the final guard was yelling while charging at me. I fired the arrow, and he fell to the ground. I grabbed some spare arrows so that I could put them in my bag, and I quickly remembered Edward and rushed off to help him defeat Alrek.

When I got up to the rooftop where the fight had begun, I saw that they were both struggling against each other with both of their swords on the ground. Then, after some struggling, they both flew each other off a ledge, where they rolled on the side of a roof that went down and both of them rolled down while they were still struggling against each other. I went over to that area where they both fell, and I started to hear someone climbing up. I hoped it was Edward, but when I got a closer look, Alrek was already at the top and was coming straight for me. I tried to load an arrow onto my bow but he knocked it out of my hands and pinned me to the ground using a heavy sand bag.

"Well princess" He said to me "Since my guards didn't seem to take care of you, I'll have to do it myself" he picked up his sword that was on the ground and prepared to stab me with it. I screamed in fear for someone to help me, I closed my eyes in fear and suddenly I heard somebody jump in front of Alrek and took the hit. I opened my eyes to see who it was, and Edward was standing between me and Alrek standing still.

_(Edwards POV)_

I closed my eyes as soon as I jumped in front of Alrek who was about to kill Merida, and I waited for the knife to come right at me. I opened my eyes to see that the charm had done the work, and field of blue was protecting me as Alrek looked at me in shock. I punched him in the face, sending him sliding to the other side of the roof, and I turned to pick the sand back that pinned Merida down off of her. I pulled her up off the ground, and she was surprised as well. I heard Alrek on the other side getting up, and was in shock about what just happened.

"But, your still alive" he said to me "How?" I then loosened my clothes to reveal that I wore Alrek's stone on my neck.

"Impossible" he said shocked "How did you get your hand on it?"

"While you and I were rolling on the roof, I switched it with a fake one and I put on the real one" I explained to him. He looked down at his neck to check to see if I wasn't lying, and on his neck was just a regular small stone attached to a piece of string. Merida looked at the blue stone in amazement, and then looked at me.

"What is that" she asked me.

"I'll explain later" I said to her "But first, time to finish this once and for all" Alrek picked up his sword and was charging straight at me and the both of us continued with our duel. We both threw attacks and blocks at each other until the fight moved us to the edge of the roof that was right near a high cliff that fell into the ocean. I punched Alrek, and then he punched me straight in the face, causing me to fall and land on my back, the sword to fly out of my hand, and the stone to slide to the other side of the roof. I grunted in pain as Alrek picked up his sword and started walking towards me as I crawled to the side of the ledge.

"I'm gonna bleed you, like a whimpering pig you are" he said walking towards me. I had to think of something until Merida found my sword and picked it up.

"MERIDA!" I yelled to her. When she heard me, she knew that I needed help and threw the sword. Alrek charged at me, and when the sword was in my reach, I grabbed it just as Alrek is about to kill me. I moved the sword fast, and it went straight through Alrek's stomach.

"Not if I bleed you first" I said to him. He looked down at the sword, which was through him, and then looked back at me. I pulled the sword out of his chest and allow him to stagger to the edge. Still bleeding from his wound, I kicked him in the chest and watch as he fell off the cliff and into the ocean. I stood up and walked over to Merida who smiled at me. We looked around and all of Fergus's soldiers were rounding up what was left of Alrek's troops and taking the fortress as ours.

"We did it" said Merida "It's finally over" I smiled to her, then I remembered the blue stone that came off me and I saw it over by the wall

"Not yet" I said to her. I walked over to where the stone was, and she followed me, once we reached the stone, I picked it up to look at it.

"So, what is it?" asked Merida.

"It's a magical charm that protects it the wearer from harm; making him invulnerable" I said to her "Alrek stole it for himself a long time ago"

"Who did he steal it from?" she asked me while she was looking at it.

"You'll know once you've seen the person" I told her. With that said, I took out the little horn that the witch gave to me, and I blew on it which made a soft noise. After I finished blowing it, a blast of smoke came on the other side of the area. When the smoke cleared, the witch came into view and she looked at us.

"You?" Merida said to the witch shocked.

"Oh, hello there, yes Alrek stole it from me" she said to us. Merida looked at me surprised.

"How did you find her" Merida asked me.

"I was walking in the forest and a trail of those wisps that you told me about led me to her, and she was able to tell me where you were and how to defeat Alrek" I said to her.

"Oh, that reminds me, do you have the stone" The witch asked me.

"Yes, its right here" I replied to her holding it up in my hand.

"Perfect" she said to us "I'll be taking it back if you don't mind" she walked over to where we were, and I gave her back the stone.

"Where are you going to put it?" I asked the witch.

"In a secret place inside my cottage so that no one will be able to use it again" she replied "Well, I must be off then, thank you for getting it back for me"

"You're welcome" I said to her. After Merida and I said goodbye to the witch, she raised her hand, and threw down some powder, and a flash of smoke covered the area. When the smoke cleared, the witch was gone, probably to take the stone back to her cottage. Fergus came up and found Merida, and ran over to hug her. After they both hugged, Fergus let go, and Merida and I smiled, knowing that the day has been won.

**Phew, this is my longest chapter yet. Only one chapter left, and it will be the end of the story. I hope you all liked the chapter, and make sure you please review for me, I will update for you guys as soon as possible.**


	15. Celebration

**Hey guys, so this is the final chapter for my Brave story. I just want to thank all of you for supporting me with your reviews and adding my stories to your favorites list. So this will take place a day after the attack and the people in the kingdom are resuming the festival as planned. Make sure you review before you leave and enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 15

_(Merida's POV)_

It's been a day since the attack on Alrek's fortress, and everything was returning to normal. Edward had been thanked by my mother and father for his heroic actions, and so did the three lords. He had started to make friends with the three lords and their sons, as well as my three brothers and my father. I walked through the halls to Edward's room where he was getting ready to be knighted by my father. I opened the door and he was just getting his uniform on, which was a sleeveless vest with smooth, dark fabric, and golden lines on it, which made him look like a prince.

"You can come in" Edward said to me. I walked in just as he said and smiled.

"Thank you" I said kindly to him.

"You don't look bad yourself" He replied looking at my dark dress that I now wear for special occasions. I walked towards him, and then we sat down on his bed for a moment.

"I just wanted to thank you" I said to him softly.

"For what?" He asked me.

"For coming for me when I was captured" I replied to him.

"What else was I supposed to do?" He said to me "I care about you, and I would never let anything happen to you as long as you live" I smiled at his comment.

"I care for you too" I said to him "It's nice to finally meet somebody who shares my hobbies and is as brave as I am"

"I just felt that I needed a little bravery" he said "Sometimes, we all have to be brave" Then, the clan horn sounded and we both knew that it was time for the ceremony.

"Looks like it's my time" he said to me.

"Good luck out there" I said to him "I'll be watching you" Then we both walked out of Edwards room and headed to where we were supposed to be.

When I arrived at the throne room, my whole family was seated in their chairs, and I sat down on my chair as well. The room became silent, and the two large doors opened with Edward walking into the room. When he got to the front steps, my father asked him to kneel on the floor, and he did. Then, my father took out his sword and knighted him, and when Edward stood up, my father gave him a special paint mark on the side of his face to symbolize his instatement into our clan.

"Lords and ladies" my father said "I present to you, Edward of Dunbroch" As soon as he said that, everyone around us cheered, even the sons of the three lords. Edward looked at me and smiled, feeling happy that he now has a new place to call home. Then, we all went to the field outside where the tents were all set back up so that the festival will continue as planned. A guard brought up the torch and went over to the fire bowl were it would be lit.

"Now" said my mother "Without further or due, let the festivities continue" the torch was lit and every one cheered, and me, Edward, and everybody else began to enjoy the festival.

_(Edwards POV)_

While I was celebrating with everybody else, I finally realized that those three trouble making boys, that girl with the long wavy hair, the tough king with a wooden leg, and the queen with great wisdom and virtue. They were all the closest to something that I always wanted but haven't had in a long time, a family, I trusted tem and they trusted me. Merida and I have formed a bond together, which her parents know about, and I had made friends with the sons of the three lords. I walked over to Merida and figured that something was supposed to be asked for by her parents.

"So, I guess that your parents are now going to have us get married" I said to her.

"Well, I don't think we should get married yet" she said to me "I'd wait for when we are ready, when the time is right".

"I agree" I said to her "Are your parents alright with that?"

"Of course they are" she replied "They allow me my freedom, so that means that even though we won't get married for a while, we'll still be able to spend time together" I smiled and was glad that I now had a new home to live in with people that care about me. I then realized that I had a gift that I wanted to show her, and figured that now is the appropriate time.

"Hey Merida" I said to her "I have a little something for you that I have been waiting to give to you"

"Well alright then" she replied. I then took out a small wooden box out of my pocket, showed it in front of her and opened it, revealing a silver necklace with the Dunbroch symbol on it.

"You made this?" Merida asked me.

"Yep, I found some silver and decided to mold it into something for you" I replied to her. She put it around her neck and smiled.

"Do you like it?" I asked her.

"I love it" she said "And it gives me something that I could wear on special occasions" she said to me "Thank you"

"You're welcome" I replied to her. I could see that Merida's parents were watching us and I could tell that it reminded them about what they were like when they were younger. After I gave her the gift, we enjoyed the rest of the festival with everybody else. After spending hours of festivities and activities, the sun started to go down, and Merida and I decided to go to the high rocks that were near the castle and the festival so that we could get a better look at the sun set. We both climbed up the rocks, with Merida reaching the top first before I did, and we both stood up as we watched the sun lower behind the mountains.

"This looks familiar" said Merida.

"Yes, yes it does" I replied to her.

"If your mother and father were here right now they would be very proud of you" she said to me.

"You're probably right" I said to her "I just wanted to say thank you, because you and your family have taken such good care of me, and have even excepted me as one of your own"

"Well, you felt like you needed help" Merida replied to me. Suddelny, I saw a wolf off in the distance, and I made Merida get behind me, remembering how I recieved my injuries. I got my knife out and waited for it to strike, but it just stood there, watching me with it's bright yellow eyes. As it watched me, I realized that this is one of the wolves that was part of the pack.

"What is it?" Merida asked me.

"This is one of the wolves that attacked me" I replied to her "But I think it's trying to tell me something" I looked at it for a bit, and realized that it was trying to forgive me. I lowered my weapon and calmed down. I looked at it and realized how gentle this one was as it looked at me.

"I forgive you" I replied softly. Then, it took one more glance at me before it wandered off into the woods. Merida came over to me and smiled as we sat back down on the rocks.

"That was very noble of you, for what you did" she said to me.

"Yeah" I said to her "I think you're right" soon, after we spent our time on the rocks looking back to our time we spent together, we both kissed each other as the sun went down before heading back down to the festival, to spend with my new family.

**The End**

**Well folks, that's the end of the story, I'd like to thank everybody for showing your support through reviews, and adding this story to your favorites list. I hope you all enjoyed this story, and please leave a review before you leave, see ya.**


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